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in Success: Make College Easier, Fire Up Your Dreams and Get a
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College
Rules!: How to Study, Survive and Succeed in College

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCEby
Tania K. Cowling

Why
do some students have such a wonderful experience in college and others
donˇt? Chances are, itˇs not because students picked the right or the
wrong college but because they didnˇt make the most of the opportunities
available to them at the college they did choose.

The
high rate of college dropouts and the rising cost of a college education
make this an important issue for students and their families. What can
college students do to improve their odds of having a positive academic
and social experience? Is there anything parents can do or say to be
helpful?

Making
the Most of College by
Professor Richard J. Light (Harvard University Press), offers suggestions
based on a 10-year study of which factors were most likely to improve
studentsˇ learning and overall happiness. For this study, researchers
interviewed faculty from 24 institutions and 1600 students about the
quality of teaching and advising the academic choices the students had
made and how they spent their spare time. Dr. Light offers these concrete†and
fairly simple†ways for students to get more out of college, in terms
of their academic success as well as their personal happiness.

Get to know at least
one faculty memberreasonably well each semester, and get that faculty member
to know you too. Youˇll feel more connected to your school (and those
letters of recommendation from faculty members will be helpful later
on). For students at large schools or commuter campuses this may be
more difficult, but itˇs worth the effort.

Donˇt try to hide
academic problems. Two main symptoms of trouble ahead were found to be Ŕa
sense of isolation” and Ŕunwillingness to seek help.” If youˇre
struggling with your writing or falling behind in a math or science
class, get some help right away. Start with your professor. Make an
appointment during office hours; donˇt try to discuss your situation
in a few minutes after class. Talk to your academic advisor. Find
out about campus centers for peer tutoring or other assistance programs
that may be available in particular subject area.

Study in groups. One
of the best ways to understand complex course material is for students
to do their homework independently and then to study in small groups
of four or five once or twice a week. Many professors used to frown
on this approach, but now are encouraging group study, particularly
in the freshmen year. They recognize what was revealed in Dr. Lightˇs
research†that students who study in groups understand the material
better and are more engaged in their classes.

Take
a mix of courses. Students are often advised to get their requirements
out of the way first and then take the classes they need to complete
their major, saving the fun elective for senior year. The most successful
students in the Harvard study did precisely the opposite. They started
out taking required courses plus some smaller classes that allowed
for more faculty-student interaction. The introductory core or survey
classes are often large, and they cover so much material that students
donˇt have anything to sink their teeth into. A better way to begin
is to take a mix that includes some required courses and others that
pique your interests and stimulate your imagination. The study found
that people who do this feel more connected and happier when they
choose a major.

Work
on your writing. The more you write, the better. Try to identify
courses that require several short papers rather than one long one.
In the Harvard study, the most satisfied students were those who sought
constructive, detailed feedback from their professors such as ŔWhere
did my argument fall apart in this essay?” not ŔWhy didnˇt
I geta better grade?” Get specific suggestions from professors
on how to implement revisions to improve an early draft. If you keep
getting the same feedback, make sure you understand what professors
are trying to tell you. Go to a campus writing center to get help
on problem areas.

Learn
to manage your time. The scattershot approach to studying that many students use in
high school will not be successful in college. Itˇs not enough to
squeeze in 25 minutes of study between classes or read in the library
for half an hour before dinner. In the study, studentsˇ grasp of the
material and their grades improved when they had longer, uninterrupted
periods of concentration. These are blocks of time you have to plan
for and schedule.

Learn
another language. Many students arrive at college with enough
skills to Ŕtest out” of a schoolˇs foreign language requirement. But
foreign language courses are most commonly mentioned as Ŕfavorite
classes,” even though they require hard work. One key appears to be
the pleasure component from learning to communicate in another language.
Also, language classes are typically small. Students often work in
groups and thereˇs a high level of participation. Thus, foreign language
courses combine all the elements that encourage greater engagement
and more learning.

Get
involved in an outside activity. You might think that holding a job or participating
in outside activities would detract from studentsˇ academic work,
but the reverse is true. The study found that a substantial commitment
to one or two activities other than coursework (for as much as 20
hours per week) as little or no relationship to grades. Students were
particularly enthusiastic about participation in the arts†music, dance,
and dramatic productions†as a source of both pleasure and learning.
Students who make connections between what goes on inside and outside
the classroom report a more satisfying college experience. ŔVery
often, an experience outside the class can have a profound effect
on the courses students choose and even what they want to do with
their lives, Ŕ
says Dr. Light. The one area where outside activities hurt studentsˇ
grades was intercollegiate athletics. But the study also found athletes
to be the happiest students at college.

Learn
from differences. Most students feel very positive about the impact
of cultural, racial, and especially, religious diversity on college
campuses. But learning from differences doesnˇt come easily, and most
students said they experienced unpleasant moments, awkward encounters
and sometimes worse. According to the study, the Ŕgood stuff” doesnˇt
happen by accident. Certain preconditions need to be met. ŔCampus
leaders can do much to shapean environment in which diversity
strengthens learning,” says Dr. Light. This kind of learning Ŕdoes not
happen with segregated clubs. It does not happen with segregated arts
activities or singing groups or drama production. It happens when
students as well as campus leaders make a proactive effort to capitalize
on the opportunities diversity offers.”

(adapted from Work &
Family Life newsletter, edited by Susan Ginsberg)